Winter Storm Watch inland for snow and ice; mostly rain for the Outer Banks
After flirting with wintry precipitation the last two storms, it looks like the third time’s the charm for much of northeastern North Carolina late Friday night and into Saturday.
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for all of the region except the Dare beaches and Ocracoke, as a low pressure system forming in the Gulf of Mexico sprints across the region to start the weekend.
Corolla and mainland Currituck, Camden, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Chowan and Gates counties are expected to receive heavy mixed precipitation, with total snow accumulations of up to two inches, and ice accumulations of up to 2/10ths of an inch.
But don’t expect the snow to stick around very long in those areas.
The latest forecast from NWS Wakefield for most of those areas says precipitation will begin as mostly snow from 7 p.m. until 1 a.m., change to a mix of snow and sleet between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m., mix with rain after 4 a.m. and then all rain by 10 a.m. before tapering off around 1 p.m.
However, the closer to the state line you get, the more likely there is less rain mixing in.
From Duck to Oregon Inlet, NWS Newport calls for rain beginning around 7 p.m. Friday, mixing with some sleet, snow and freezing rain starting around 1 a.m. Saturday until daybreak, when it becomes all rain and ends by mid-morning, washing away any accumulation.
South of Oregon Inlet, rain mixed with occasional sleet is forecast from 7 p.m. Friday through daybreak on Saturday, followed by just rain that moves out by noon.
Due to the fast-moving track of the storm, no coastal impacts are expected other than northwest winds to gale force over the offshore waters on Saturday.
he Dare mainland, Tyrrell and Hyde counties will see a mix of rain, sleet and snow starting around 7 p.m. Friday through 6 a.m. Saturday, and then all rain lasting through around noon.
Travel will be much more treacherous to the north and west, as 1 to 2 inches of snow, with some freezing rain accumulation, is possible for interior sections of North Carolina.
Due to the winter weather threat, inauguration festivities for Governor Josh Stein scheduled for this weekend in Raleigh have been cancelled.
The best chances of snow from this system are in southeastern Virginia, where 1 to 3 inches of snow is possible in southside Hampton Roads and as much as 4 inches along the upper Peninsula and north and west of Suffolk.
Once the storm gets out of here, we’ll see dry conditions with chilly temperatures through the middle of next week.
A list of local Outer Banks resources for additional information is as follows:
- For information on the local forecast, visit weather.gov/mhx for general weather information, or the National Weather Service office in Newport/Morehead City’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NWSMoreheadCity/.
- For updates regarding road conditions, visit DriveNC.gov and follow the North Carolina Department of Transportation and NCDOT NC 12 on Facebook. The Dare County Sheriff’s Office also shares local road condition updates on its Facebook page.
- To get notified of ferry delays or cancellations, sign up for text and/or email alerts via the N.C. Ferry System’s FINS system: www.ncdot.gov/fins.
